Matt Ryan Named Falcons President, Kyle Pitts’ Future Up for Debate

The Locker Room, hosted by John Michaels and “Hometeam” Brandon Leak, breaks down a pivotal moment for the Atlanta Falcons as the organization undergoes significant front office changes, highlighted by the appointment of former franchise quarterback Matt Ryan as the team’s new President. The hosts discuss what Ryan’s leadership, credibility, and firsthand understanding of the Falcons’ culture could mean in his first-ever NFL front office role, and how his presence may help stabilize and redefine the organization’s direction.

The conversation then shifts to the on-field implications of Kyle Pitts being named to the NFL All-Pro Second Team. Michaels and Leak debate whether Pitts’ recognition signals a true breakout worthy of a long-term investment or if it represents “fool’s gold” when weighed against his inconsistent production in previous seasons. The discussion centers on whether the Falcons should commit to paying Pitts and bringing him back next year, or consider moving on before locking into a costly decision.

Overall, the segment examines how Atlanta’s leadership decisions—both in the front office and on the roster—could shape the franchise’s next chapter.

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14 comments

  2. I think Matt’s own experience playing with Pitts will play a part in that decision. He knows what he can do with good QB play and competent coaching🤷🏾‍♂️

  4. Michael Penix Jr. was a lower‑tier starter in 2025, and most rankings had a majority of NFL quarterbacks graded ahead of him based on overall play and efficiency.

    Penix’s 2025 performance

    Penix started most of the season for the Falcons, finishing with 1,982 passing yards, 9 TD, 3 INT, a 60.1% completion rate and an 88.5 passer rating.

    ​

    Those numbers placed him in the bottom half of the league’s full‑time starters in most advanced and film-based evaluations.

    Quarterbacks clearly ranked higher

    Most end‑of‑season rankings of primary starters put at least these QBs ahead of Penix in 2025:

    ​

    Drake Maye (Patriots)

    Matthew Stafford (Rams)

    Justin Herbert (Chargers)

    Josh Allen (Bills)

    Jordan Love (Packers)

    Caleb Williams (Bears)

    C.J. Stroud (Texans)

    Patrick Mahomes (Chiefs)

    Jalen Hurts (Eagles)

    Joe Burrow (Bengals)

    Lamar Jackson (Ravens)

    Jared Goff (Lions)

    Brock Purdy (49ers)

    Jayden Daniels (Commanders)

  5. This puzzles me due to the fact that Matt was his first QB as a rookie, where he went straight to the Pro Bowl his first year in the NFL. Matt was an awesome QB which helped spotlight Pitts. And I'll bet he was a part of him being drafted by the Falcons. So my best guess is Pitts is safe. We've never fixed our QB issue since Matt left.

  6. Once again, the persistent issue we failed to address was the quarterback dilemma, negatively impacting all other aspects of the team. Let's face the reality now…

  7. Don't think Matt Ryan voiced his opinion enough to change those passing plays into run (to eat up the clock) in the Super bowl, that cost us the game.

  8. I don't know how to feel about Matt Ryan being hired as president of football. But if anybody knows what talent looks like it's definitely Matt! I wish him all the success and I wish our Falcons all the success! Now they need a defensive coordinator kind of like Chuck Smith. Someone that can actually teach the art of the sack!

  10. Pitts had Matt and a reasonable OC his rookie year. He's had doo doo residue ever since. Tag him and get the OC right with a solid bridge or something QB.

  11. Pitts by going anywhere either extension or tag otw Matt knows how valuable he is as a weapon from first hand experience playing with him

  13. What do I want from Pitts? How about learning to block my the QB doesn’t get blown up. Maybe showing effort when you’re not the only receiver playing. How about not dropping passes or fumbling so often?

  14. I’ll say every reason they gave for why Ryan will be good at this job could be said for most general managers and coaches we’ve brought in before

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